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I need to build a 51' long by 5' high wall. what type of foundations do i need and does the wall need to be double or single skinned.

It is a boundary wall and need to be attached to my property at one end.

Asked by: anon-180821100004986519
6th Aug 2011

6 Answers

Best Answer

The type of foundation for this type of wall depends to some extent on the type of ground it is to be built on ,as a minimum the foundation should be on solid ground at least 600mm deep 150 x 600 wide built in solid blocks 225mm wide up to DPC. the wall is quite long so it will require some buttreses at 3m centers.

hi for a wall this size it would need to be double skinned, foundations size should be 12" wide and 2 foot deep min or deeper till you hit good clay, plus also with a wall this high you would need to cheak with local council that you can build this high with out planning. hope this help's

You need to dig down sufficiently into the grounds sub-base. If this is chalk, you will have a very stable sub-base to lay a concrete foundation on, 150mm deep would be fine. However, if you are on sandy or clay sub soils, you will need to dig deeper and lay a 300mm concrete foundation. If the subsoil is particularly unstable it would be worthwhile to add reinforcing rods into the concrete to create additional support. The two latter types are prone to movement so it would be beneficial to lay two lengths of wall 25 ft each with a half inch gap between. Either single course or double is fine, however, single course would require piers built in at each end and every 6 -8 foot or so, for greater stability.As an alternative, a close boarded fence perhaps with concrete posts and gravel boards would have more flexibility to it and be more economic

For a wall that long and high it would be best to have a double skinned with a good solid concrete base, below ground level of about 150 mm. and the dpc to be around 150mm above. if you was to have a single skinned that long and high it would prove to be quite unstable.

I would do a minimum footing of 500mm deep and 450mm wide. The wall would need to be double skin in my opinion as its fairly high and long. It looks better aswell, if you can afford a double skin wall its always the best option both for aesthetics and strength.

Where it needs attaching to the property use a wall starter so its tied in.